Tweet of the Day

Latest Episodes:

Derek Niemann Sparrows of the Western Front Nov 04, 2018

Show notes

Derek Niemann recalls that within the horrors of the First World War the ubiquitous house sparrows living in the shattered buildings along the Western Front were one of the great survivors during the onslaught. Despite the devastation they thrived within the ruins of bombed out buildings and for the soldiers these 'wee spuggies' brought a little bit of home, and hope, to their day.

Derek who previously worked for the RSPB for 25 years, has latterly turned his knowledge of birds and nature into a career as a writer, including the book Birds in a Cage, an affectionate tale of British prisoner of war ornithologists. For the next two weeks Derek has chosen episodes from the Tweet of the Day archive, with a connection to times of conflict. Derek begins his tenure curating the archives with his own tale. You can hear more from Derek and his interest in birds during wartime in the Tweet of the Week podcast, available as a download from the Radio 4 website..

Producer Andrew Dawes

James Henry on the Little Owl Oct 28, 2018

Show notes

Author of the prequel detective Jack Frost thrillers James Henry picks the diminutive, non native little owl beloved by Florence Nightingale for his Tweet of the Day.

The diminutive little owl takes it genus name, Athene from Athena, the Olympian goddess for war and wisdom, and protector of Athens. It is from this ancient connection that Western culture derives an association of wisdom and knowledge with owls. And maybe why Florence Nightingale on a tour of Greece rescued a Little Owl chick she found at the acropolis. The owl, she named Athena was her companion for 5 years.

Producer Andrew Dawes

James Henry: Yellowhammer and Beethoven Oct 21, 2018

Show notes

Detective Jack Frost prequel author James Henry picks the yellowhammer, whose song is believed to have influenced one of the world’s greatest composers Ludwig Van Beethoven..

Although many think the yellowhammer is a symbol of English farmland, it is in reality very much a European bird, famous for it's song. The natural world provided Ludwig Van Beethoven with a constant source of ideas and a number of his works are often attributed to the yellowhammer’s song. Many critics cite the dramatic first four bars of Beethoven's fifth symphony but for James and many others the more gentle first movement of Beethoven's fourth piano concerto is a more fitting celebration and for James it is that which he listens to during the winter months to remind him of the summer, and his favourite farmland bird.

Producer Andrew Dawes

Tom Bailey Tweet Displacement Oct 14, 2018

Show notes

Theatre maker artist Tom Bailey, the parallels between human migration and bird migration are different, yet strangely possess many cross-overs.

Tom has chosen five episodes from the Tweet of the Day archive which you can hear all this week. In addition you can hear more from Tom and his artistic work Zugunruhe, an ornithology term for 'migratory restlessness in birds', in the Tweet of the Week podcast, available on the Radio 4 website as a download.

You can read more about Zugunruhe and Tom's other projects on the website: http://www.mechanimal.co.uk/

Podcast Producer: Elliott Prince Producer: Andrew Dawes

Tom Bailey Migratory Tweet Oct 07, 2018

Show notes

Being a human, being a bird, is fun, stupid, impossible, tragic, sweaty, lonely, wild, restless and death to your vocal cords. So says theatre maker Tom Bailey who has spent much of 2018 following in the migratory restlessness of the marsh warbler in his Tweet of the Day.

Tom has chosen his five episodes from the Tweet of the Day archive which you can hear all this week. In addition you can hear more from Tom and his artistic work Zugunruhe, an ornithology term for 'migratory restlessness in birds', in the Tweet of the Week podcast, available on the Radio 4 website as a download.

Podcast Producer: Elliott Prince Producer: Andrew Dawes

Kitty Macfarlane the Eel and the Heron Sep 30, 2018

Show notes

For singer and songwriter Kitty Macfarlane the natural world and the landscape around her provides the inspiration for her work, especially when she takes a sound recorder out with her to record bird songs. Or takes part in an eel project, with an ever present grey heron never far away.

Kitty continues her selections from the Tweet of the Day back canon.. You can hear all five episodes chosen this week, and further thoughts from Kitty on how she first saw a bittern recently via the the Tweet of the Week omnibus edition, which is available to download via the Radio 4 Website.

Producer : Andrew Dawes

Kitty MacFarlane's starlings in Somerset Sep 23, 2018

Show notes

Singer songwriter Kitty MacFarlane has a strong connection to a Sense of Place in her work, especially the Somerset Levels and the birds which flock there providing inspiration.

A previous semi-finalist in the BBC Young Folk awards, Kitty begins her first week selecting from the Tweet of the Day back catalogue. You can hear all five episodes chosen this week, and further thoughts from Kitty on how the landscape influences her work via the the Tweet of the Week omnibus edition, which is available to download via the Radio 4 Website.

Producer Andrew Dawes.

Mark Whitley's Dales Tweet Sep 16, 2018

Show notes

For editor of The Countryman magazine, Mark Whitley, autumn may be around the corner, but he's transported back to spring. The sight of male lapwings performing their tumbling display flight, and hearing their distinctive 'peewit' call is a sure sign that spring is on its way to the Yorkshire Dales.

Mark begins his second week curating the back catalogue from Tweet of the Day. You can hear all five episodes chosen this week, and further thoughts from Mark and his passion for the natural world via the the Tweet of the Week omnibus edition, which is available to download via the Radio 4 Website.

Mark Whitley Countryman Takeover Sep 09, 2018

Show notes

Editor of The Countryman magazine Mark Whitley reveals how moving offices recently has opened up a whole new vista of bird species in this Tweet of the Day.

Mark begins his two weeks curating the back catalogue from Tweet of the Day. You can hear all five programmes chosen this week, and some thoughts from Mark and his passion for the natural world via the the Tweet of the Week omnibus edition, which is available via the Radio 4 Website.

Producer Andrew Dawes.

Kate Bradbury's Swift Tweet Sep 02, 2018

Show notes

Kate Bradbury loves watching the swifts screaming across her new garden in the centre of Hove near Brighton. As yet though they aren't nesting in here house, but with help, they might just do so. As a wildlife gardener Kate encourages as many bird species as possible to visit. But for this Tweet of the Day it may be a slight wait until she can call the swifts over Sussex, her swifts.

As Kate heads into her second week curating her favourite episodes from the Tweet of the Day back catalogue, you can hear all five programmes chosen this week, and some thoughts from Kate about her love of wildlife in the Tweet of the Week omnibus edition, which is available via the Radio 4 Website.

Producer: Andrew Dawes Photograph: Paul Dubois.

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